SMS-supported method for online/offline detection of user groups in mobile wireless networks

Abstract

An apparatus and method for informing a first mobile wireless subscriber identity module which is signed on to a mobile wireless network about further mobile wireless subscriber identity modules that are likewise signed on to a mobile wireless network includes sending a mobile wireless short message to each of the further mobile wireless subscriber identity modules. Based on the delivery to a mobile wireless subscriber identity module of pertinent delivery information, the further mobile wireless subscriber identity modules that are likewise signed on in a mobile wireless network may be determined. A short message may then be sent to the first mobile wireless subscriber identity module including information about which of the further mobile wireless subscriber identity modules are currently signed on to a mobile wireless network.

We claim:  
     
       1. A method for providing information to a mobile subscriber identified by a first subscriber identification card signed on to a mobile wireless network, the information concerning which ones of a plurality of further subscriber identification cards are currently also signed onto a mobile wireless network, comprising the steps of: 
       (a) sending a mobile wireless short message to each of the plurality of further subscriber identification cards;  
       (b) establishing delivery information by signed on ones of the plurality of further subscriber identification cards which are signed on to mobile wireless networks, wherein said delivery information is established only for signed on ones of the further subscriber identification cards that are also signed on to the Internet via WAP;  
       (c) determining which of the plurality of further subscriber identification cards are signed onto mobile wireless networks based on the delivery information established in said step (b); and  
       (d) transmitting information to the first subscriber identification card indicating the signed on ones of the plurality of further subscriber identification cards determined in said step (c).  
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said step (a) comprises sending a mobile wireless short message to each of the plurality of further subscriber identification cards stored in a list which relates to the first subscriber identity module. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , further comprising the step of preparing the list of further subscriber identification cards by the user of the first subscriber identification cards and transmitting the list to the mobile wireless network via one of oral and short message transmission. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said step (a) is performed at a time comprising one of a time when the first subscriber identification card is first signed on to the mobile wireless network and periodic time intervals. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said step (a) is performed when requested by the user of the first subscriber identification card. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said step (a) comprises sending a mobile wireless short message to further subscriber identification cards that are subscribed to the same mobile wireless network to which the first subscriber identification card subscribes. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said step (a) comprises sending a mobile wireless short message via a system other than a Global System for Mobile Communication and a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said step (a) comprises sending a mobile wireless short message that is an empty message without any text displayable on a mobile wireless terminal. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein in said step (b), said step of establishing delivery information comprises automatically generating a reception acknowledgement and sending the reception acknowledgement toward the first subscriber identification card by the signed on ones of the further subscriber identification cards. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of identifying the plurality of further subscriber identification cards on the basis of an identity number. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said step (d) comprises transmitting the information via a mobile wireless short message which is to be displayed by one of an optical display and an acoustic display on a terminal of the user. 
     
     
       12. A method for providing information to a mobile subscriber identified by a first subscriber identification card signed on to a mobile wireless network, the information concerning which ones of a plurality of further subscriber identification cards are currently also signed onto a mobile wireless network, comprising the steps of: 
       (a) sending a mobile wireless short message to each of the plurality of further subscriber identification cards including sending a mobile wireless short message to further subscriber identification cards that are subscribed to mobile wireless networks other than the mobile wireless network to which the first subscriber identification card subscribes;  
       (b) establishing delivery information by signed on ones of the plurality of further subscriber identification cards which are signed on to mobile wireless networks;  
       (c) determining which of the plurality of further subscriber identification cards are signed onto mobile wireless networks based on the delivery information established in said step (b); and  
       (d) transmitting information to the first subscriber identification card indicating the signed on ones of the plurality of further subscriber identification cards determined in said step (c).  
     
     
       13. A method for providing information to a mobile subscriber identified by a first subscriber identification card signed on to a mobile wireless network, the information concerning which ones of a plurality of further subscriber identification cards are currently also signed onto a mobile wireless network, comprising the steps of: 
       (a) sending a mobile wireless short message to each of the plurality of further subscriber identification cards by sending a mobile wireless short message comprising a Global System for Mobile Communication short message;  
       (b) establishing delivery information by signed on ones of the plurality of further subscriber identification cards which are signed on to mobile wireless networks;  
       (c) determining which of the plurality of further subscriber identification cards are signed onto mobile wireless networks based on the delivery information established in said step (b); and  
       (d) transmitting information to the first subscriber identification card indicating the signed on ones of the plurality of further subscriber identification cards determined in said step (c).  
     
     
       14. A method for providing information to a mobile subscriber identified by a first subscriber identification card signed on to a mobile wireless network, the information concerning which ones of a plurality of further subscriber identification cards are currently also signed onto a mobile wireless network, comprising the steps of: 
       (a) sending a mobile wireless short message to each of the plurality of further subscriber identification cards by sending a mobile wireless short message comprising a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System short message;  
       (b) establishing delivery information by signed on ones of the plurality of further subscriber identification cards which are signed on to mobile wireless networks;  
       (c) determining which of the plurality of further subscriber identification cards are signed onto mobile wireless networks based on the delivery information established in said step (b); and  
       (d) transmitting information to the first subscriber identification card indicating the signed on ones of the plurality of further subscriber identification cards determined in said step (c).  
     
     
       15. A method for providing information to a mobile subscriber identified by a first subscriber identification card signed on to a mobile wireless network, the information concerning which ones of a plurality of further subscriber identification cards are currently also signed onto a mobile wireless network, comprising the steps of: 
       (a) sending a mobile wireless short message to each of the plurality of further subscriber identification cards;  
       (b) establishing delivery information by signed on ones of the plurality of further subscriber identification cards which are signed on to mobile wireless networks wherein said step of establishing delivery information comprises monitoring a status flag for each of the plurality of further subscriber identification cards, wherein the presence of the status flag indicates that the mobile wireless short message sent in said step (a) has not reached a particular one of the plurality of further subscriber identification cards and that the particular one of the plurality of further subscriber identification cards is not signed on, the status flag comprising a message waiting flag in one of a Global System for Mobile Communications and a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System;  
       (c) determining which of the plurality of further subscriber identification cards are signed onto mobile wireless networks based on the delivery information established in said step (b); and  
       (d) transmitting information to the first subscriber identification card indicating the signed on ones of the plurality of further subscriber identification cards determined in said step (c).  
     
     
       16. A method for providing information to a mobile subscriber identified by a first subscriber identification card signed on to a mobile wireless network, the information concerning which ones of a plurality of further subscriber identification cards are currently also signed onto a mobile wireless network, comprising the steps of: 
       (a) sending a mobile wireless short message to each of the plurality of further subscriber identification cards including sending a sender identity which prevents the first mobile wireless subscriber identification card from receiving the short message delivered to the plurality of further mobile wireless subscriber identification cards;  
       (b) establishing delivery information by signed on ones of the plurality of further subscriber identification cards which are signed on to mobile wireless networks;  
       (c) determining which of the plurality of further subscriber identification cards are signed onto mobile wireless networks based on the delivery information established in said step (b); and  
       (d) transmitting information to the first subscriber identification card indicating the signed on ones of the plurality of further subscriber identification cards determined in said step (c).  
     
     
       17. An apparatus for providing information to a mobile subscriber identified by a first subscriber identification card which is signed on to a mobile wireless network, the information concerning which ones of a plurality of further subscriber identification cards are likewise signed on to a mobile wireless network, comprising: 
       a mobile wireless short message generating device for generating mobile wireless short messages to each of the plurality of further subscriber identity modules and for sending the mobile wireless short messages to the plurality of further mobile wireless subscriber identification cards;  
       a delivery information monitoring device for determining signed on ones of the plurality of further subscriber identification cards that are signed on to a mobile wireless network based on a delivery of the mobile wireless short message to each mobile wireless subscriber identity module concerning delivery information; and  
       a mobile wireless subscriber information device for transmitting information to the first subscriber identification card about the signed on ones of the plurality of further subscriber identification cards determined by the delivery information monitoring device.  
     
     
       18. The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the signed on ones of the plurality of further subscriber identification cards are signed on to the Internet via WAP. 
     
     
       19. The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein said mobile wireless short message generating device comprises a list of said plurality of further subscriber identification cards stored for the first subscriber identification card. 
     
     
       20. The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the list is prepared and input by the user of the first subscriber identification cards. 
     
     
       21. The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein said mobile wireless short message generating device is operatively arranged for sending the mobile wireless short messages to only the ones of the plurality of further identification cards on the list that are subscribed to the same mobile wireless network to which the first subscriber identification card subscribes. 
     
     
       22. The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein said mobile wireless short message generating device is operatively arranged for sending the mobile wireless short messages to only the ones of the plurality of further subscriber identification cards on the list that are subscribed to mobile wireless networks other than the mobile wireless network to which the first subscriber identification card subscribes. 
     
     
       23. The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the plurality of further subscriber identification cards are indicated in the list in the form of a telephone number. 
     
     
       24. The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein said mobile wireless short message generating device is operatively arranged for sending the mobile wireless short messages at a time comprising one of a time when the first subscriber identification card signs on and periodic time intervals. 
     
     
       25. The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein said mobile wireless short message generating device is operatively arranged for sending said mobile wireless short messages in response to a request of the user of the first subscriber identification card. 
     
     
       26. The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein said mobile wireless short messages comprise Global System for Mobile Communications short messages. 
     
     
       27. The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein said mobile wireless short messages comprise Universal Mobile Telecommunications System short messages. 
     
     
       28. The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein said mobile wireless short messages comprises short messages other than Global System for Mobile Communications short messages and Universal Mobile Telecommunications System short messages. 
     
     
       29. The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein said mobile wireless short messages comprise empty message without any text to be displayed on a mobile wireless terminal of the first subscriber identification cards. 
     
     
       30. The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein said delivery information monitoring device is operatively arranged for determining signed on ones of the plurality of further subscriber identification cards by determining an automatically generated reception acknowledgement sent back by signed on ones of the plurality of further subscriber identification cards. 
     
     
       31. The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein said mobile wireless short message generating device is operatively arranged for determining signed on ones of the plurality of further subscriber identification cards by determining the presence of delivery information which indicates that the mobile wireless short message has not yet reached a particular one of the further subscriber identification cards and considering each of the plurality of further ones of the subscriber identification cards as signed on when the delivery information is not present. 
     
     
       32. The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein said mobile wireless short message is displayed on one of an optical and acoustic display on a terminal connected with said first mobile wireless subscriber identity module.